A Fiery Death
by PsychoLioness
Summary: COM Fic. This is what i think that Ben was thinking of in the few days before his execution.


A Fiery Death

Disclaimer: I own none of this, I'm simply guessing at what thoughts could have been going through Ben's head in the days before he was going to be executed. Were you listening? I own NONE of it, nout, nada, nothing!!!

A/N: Sorry if this has already been done, I don't _think_ that it has, but even I can't read every single one of the stories on f.f.Net. Also, sorry for the writing style, I wrote this last year, so you'll probably hear the ramblings of a twelve year old girl. I did try to rewrite it, but no matter how many times I tried to, it came out nearly exactly the same so I gave up. And yet more apologies, sorry for the length, I know it's very short, but I had difficulty making it any longer.

So, on with the story…

~*~

I can't believe she would do this to me. I had thought we were friends, but obviously not. The traitor betrayed me! She used her witch like powers to trap me, to bring me tumbling to the ground. Daja testified against me in the trial, and now I have to die. I shall burn to death in three days, the week before Longnight. Can you believe that? A happy time of year, and I'm going to die. It's all _her_ fault!

~*~

I have two days left in the mortal realms, then many people say that I shall rot in my afterlife, Daja says that _pijule fakol_ is to good for me. She was my friend, Sythuthan curse her! And what I was doing was for the good of the town. They would have suffered worse tragedies over time if I had not taught them how to battle the fire! It is not death that they should be giving me, but praise and affection. I have taught them a valuable skill that can help save the city, their wooden houses wouldn't have stood a chance without me. But all the thanks I get is a death sentence. Sythuthan curse them all in their wooden houses, they deserve to die!

~*~

Tomorrow at noon, I burn to death at a stake. I'm not sure that I can take this any longer, I'm going mad. I keep hearing voices in my head, I hear the rough shouting of men as they pile water onto a fire, the screaming of trapped children. Gruzha's screams fill my head at night, and the pitiful cries of the babies, and the last breaths of the one that Daja had fought so valiantly to save. I don't understand myself, I don't regret what I did. I was only teaching them a lesson, a lesson that could save their lives. So, if I'm not repentant for what I did, why do these things bother me? Deep inside me, I know the answer to that question. I'm afraid of suffering the same fate. And I will, tomorrow.

~*~

Today, I die. And I fear that I shall die a madman. My sleep last night was interrupted by horrific dreams, they seemed so real.

__

I was sitting in my cell, my head in my hands trying to come to terms with the fact that I was going to die. Then there was a sharp rap at the door, and three armed guards walked in, their hands on their sword hilts, watching me warily. I could see the fear and hatred in their eyes, and all that hatred was directed at me.

"You are sure you do not want a priest of your own religion?" One guard asked.

I nodded my head. To have a priest would show that I feared my afterlife, and I would not want the townspeople to know that, no matter how true it may be.

"Fine," a guard replied. "Turn around."

He undid the chains that held me to the wall by my hands and feet, only to chain my hands and feet together.

I was led out of my cell, and taken through the streets of Kadsep, and over a bridge to the island of Airgi, and to the bathhouse. All the way I could feel people's eyes on me, and if I turned to see who it was, they shrank away into the shadows. They were scared of me. A drum began to beat, and the area fell silent. I was brought forwards, and chained to the stake by my wrists, ankle and neck. The metal was cold against my skin. The drum fell silent, and the herald started to read my crimes. As each name of the dead was read, it really began to sink in what was going to happen. I was going to die. The logs at my feet were set alight, and the familiar smell of burning wood reached my nose. It was then that I knew that my fate had caught up with me at last. The flames danced around my bare feet, tickling my skin with its painful slowness. How I wished in that moment that I could just die, and end my suffering. No doubt the crowd was enjoying seeing me suffer the way that all the dead had. Only, I was suffering more, they had suffocated before the flames had killed them. It shall be the flames that kill me. It will be slow and painful. I wriggle, trying to get the flames to go out. I bite back the screams as my eyes search for Daja. I hope she is happy now, this was what she wanted after all. Her eyes meet mine, and in her eyes I see guilt and sorrow, then I see no more. Flames engulf me. The heat is unbearable, then it's all over.

I can not write anymore. There is a knock on my door, they have come for me…

~*~

Well, that's all for now. So, what did you think? I tried to check it was as accurate as possible, but I was doing it from memory because my book of 'Cold Fire' was in the dark, dark realms of under the bed. Please tell me if there is anything wrong.

Now, be nice and hit the purple button that says 'Go' next to 'Submit Review' and tell me what you think.

PsychoLioness13


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